Rapture of the Innocent
by DaggersBloodPain
Summary: Innocent's trilogy part three, Slash AMCD: Play time is over the war is upon them, they have allies to win over and enemies to defeat. The prophecy sinks its claws into Aidan forcing him to fulfill his destiny, or die trying.
1. Prophecy of the Raven

**Rapture of the Innocent**

**Summary:** Innocent's trilogy part three, Slash AMCD: Play time is over the war is upon them, they have allies to win over and enemies to defeat. The prophecy sinks its claws into Aidan forcing him to fulfill his destiny, or die trying.

**Rating: M** this is for mild slash, violence, pain, character death, and harsh topic not for young readers. This is the harshest book of the series my writing has evolved a lot be warned.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter his world belongs to J.K. Rowling and while I would love to meet her I would never claim to be her.

**A/N **I am back into this series and it isn't even September yet! I can't wait to actually write a story on this trilogy again. I am so sorry for the last story and I am thankful to any readers that have followed threw from the beginning. My writing has gotten better and harsher since Pain of the Innocent I hope you like the change.

By the way I bet you thought I forgot about two seemingly minor characters they are making their triumphant return, along with a few others. I do so love tying up lose ends.

Chapter One

Prophecy of the Raven

"_**What is the problem Speaker?" **_Sarlassa, Aidan Malfoy's now _very_ large pet snake asked his long time friend.

"_**Everything is changing too fast! I never have time for you or Zafirah anymore. I don't even get a chance to speak to my family or my mate!" **_ Aidan hissed out angrily. He had bought Sarlassa when he was eleven years old and still had his innocent outlook on life. Things had changed drastically since then.

"_**You were never promised easy. Having a chosen destiny can never be easy otherwise anyone could achieve the same thing and prophecies would be pointless. You were chosen for this task because you have the ability to make it happen."**_ The snake reassured Aidan.

Suddenly a voice within the room sounded out a few lines. The voice was beautiful and unearthly and when Aidan turned he saw his pet Raven's eyes glow brightly as the bird spoke out loud words that would change history.

**When the prophecy of old lies broken**

**All sense of right and wrong lie in dust**

**Pain has been inflicted upon one not meant to feel**

**Condemning has been done to the one chosen by stars**

**Rapture shall be his weapon **

**One by Darkness marked listen well**

**Past and future meld**

**Fix what has been sundered**

**Bumblebee's fall from their throne**

**Flights of Death fall to their doom**

**Let the love of the Chosen Ones light the world**

**The Chosen One no longer alone stand united**

**The Brotherhood of Orion came to the surface**

**Hunters of the universe **

**You are the last hope**

**Chose well Dark One **

**You will save or kill all existence**

With that said Zafirah's eyes stopped glowing and she spoke again in her normal voice. **"I have seen two futures my child. I never want to live in the world where we fail. Fight hard chosen one you are all that stands between destruction and creation." **She told him ominously.

Sarlassa curled around Aidan's body putting as much contact between them as she could. Aidan was too shocked to move. He was frozen in place at the first line. A prophecy broken? Was that the one that had gotten his original family torn apart? What had broken it? Why did his destiny mean so much that he was the chosen one in not one but two prophecies?

He didn't know the answers. He was lucky enough to know people who might. So without preamble Aidan walked out of his room to find his family. One python wrapped around his body and one raven perched imperiously on his shoulder.

They need to get this new prophecy worked out and fast!

A/N I know I know its short but hey it's a start.

Reviews would be nice!


	2. Shifting Destiny

A/N I am sorry for the wait. I had a few things to work through. I still have my goal of all stories done by Christmas I just have to knuckle down and do it.

Chapter Two

Shifted Destiny

"What does it mean?" Aidan asked his assembled family, his frustration noticeable.

"We don't know yet Aidan but we will work it out. Lets take it one line at a time. The first one being 'When the prophecy of old lies broken'. I think it is safe to assume this is talking about the old one that was said before your birth." Lucius explained. He was very worried for how this would impact his new son. Aidan was strong and he knew it, but Destiny was a fickle thing it liked to play with its pawns.

"But how was it broken?" Draco asked thinking hard.

"I don't think it was one thing that lead to the breaking the next few lines tell us that, 'all sense of right and wrong lie in dust.' Aidan a family is not supposed to abandon one of its own. That could be the right and wrong its talking about. You were not supposed to leave the Potters." Severus put in, He above any others knew that was the biggest turning point in Aidan's life. If that wouldn't have happened the block Dumbledore had placed on Aidan's magic wouldn't have been there, and in a way that block had been a good thing. If Aidan had grown up with full access to his power he might have ended up just as bad as his ex siblings, or as dangerous as an atomic bomb.

"The next line 'pain has been inflicted on one not meant to feel' you were hurt by their actions and you can't tell me you weren't. Under all the anger you were hurting." Narcissa reminded him gently.

"The condemning part, everyone thought you were lying and trying to get attention away from your siblings. You were blamed for their misdeeds and they got credit for your success. You were the true chosen one of the old prophecy and they refused to listen." Lucius explained.

"The rest is telling you what you have to do." Draco guessed.

"I think you're right Draco." Severus agreed.

"Ok, so how do I beat the bastard?" Aidan asked, he knew he could count on his family to help him, but he also knew it would be him that did most of the work. He didn't like that role but he wouldn't say no if it could help people.

"Language," Narcissa chastised.

"Sorry mother," He said sheepishly, "but I did mean it how do I win?"

"Ok so 'rapture shall be his weapon' Aidan I believe it is saying that your love will beat out Voldemort's hatred. "Your love for what it doesn't say, it could mean your love of friends, your family, or Cedric." Lucius supplied.

"I think it means all three." Severus said quietly.

"Ok, the next part is telling you to pay attention, then it starts getting more obscure, 'past and future meld'. Do you think it means that the old prophecy has become part of this one, or maybe it means your past life is supposed to be apart of this one, but I doubt that." The potions master continued.

"Fix what has been sundered, you don't think it is telling you to get back with your past family?" Draco said anxiously. Prophecy be damned he wasn't giving up his brother.

"I really hope not, I think it might mean the wizarding world in general. It has been split into too many different sides, for too long." Aidan put in.

"Ok so 'bumblebees fall from their throne' I don't understand that one at all." Aidan said in confusion.

"Actually it fairly straight forward, Dumbledore's name translates into the white bumblebee." Narcissa supplied. "I think it wants us to get rid of him too." She was much more reserved then the men of the family but Narcissa was hard as steel when she needed to be. This was one of those times, Dumbledore had messed with her son, he would pay.

"Ok so flights of death refers to Voldemort then. I know that much French at least thanks to Fleur." Aidan added in. "So its basically saying I need to get rid of both of them. The first prophecy only said about getting rid of the Dark Lord. I don't think even destiny planned on Dumbledore doing what he did." Aidan explained.

"And in this one the prophecy is about the chosen ones, as in there is more then one or two people now." Draco said. "Brother, its telling you to get allies, you don't have to fight alone."

"Makes sense, the first one was too vague on just who was doing the killing, it mentions two people but not how the second was supposed to help." Aidan replied to his brother.

"Who is the Brotherhood of Orion?" Aidan asked addressing the rest of his family.

"I think it is referring to your chosen fighters, your generals as some would say," His father explained having been thinking that part over since he heard the prophecy from his son.

"Like Voldemort's inner circle they are meant to be your closet allies the ones you trust with all your secrets, its also the hardest area of any side to get into, because of the kind of information they will know it would be easy for one of them to get you captured and killed." Severus said speaking from experience. He even winced at the reminder of being discovered. He knew his life was on borrowed time until Voldemort was subdued. The only reason he was still alive now, was he had been found out as a spy for Voldemort the night before he attacked the Potters. Voldemort hadn't had time to tell the rest of the death eaters, but now that Voldemort was back he could show his true colors knowing it wouldn't make a difference in his life span, he could now take a much more active role in protecting his Slytherins now.

"I think the brotherhood will be exceptionally powerful, it says these hunters are the last hope, with them backing you Aidan you will have a better chance at beating both Dumbledore and Voldemort." Narcissa supplied.

"And they will be chosen by you Aidan, it is warning you to be careful who you let in. Only people you trust with your life. Don't trust someone that envies power or fame that breeds distention and you will always have to watch your back, you should feel comfortable and secure in their presence. If any member makes you uneasy don't tell them as much. I was a spy myself I will help you spot the ones that could mean trouble." Severus drove his point home to Aidan.

"You also need to know you have an advantage to fighting Voldemort you don't with Dumbledore, you will always know when Voldemort is planning something. Your Dark Mark if fully functioning. When it burns you know he is calling his death eaters and to prepare to defend yourself against a possible attack." Lucius explained.

"We could actually do this couldn't we? Before it was so vague and far away I;m not sure it hit me that I was actually going to fight him. Now I know I have to, am I crazy because I am not afraid?" Aidan asked desperately. Finally voicing something that had been nagging at him.

"Brother, it isn't us that will win, it's you. We are just your support, and no you are not crazy, you have been preparing for this, knowingly or not since you were a toddler. Don't be over confidant but I think it is just right that you aren't afraid. You have power, now don't be shy in using it." Draco said adamantly looking Aidan directly in the eyes.

"Oh, I won't hold back you know me better then that." Aidan said with a laugh that broke the tension in the room. No one missed that fact that Aidan now carried himself with the proud stance of a warrior. No one had taught him that it was just his own instincts guiding him. You know what? The wizarding world might just have a chance of coming out of this war all the stronger.

A/N well there you have it the full explanation of the prophecy. I hope I explained the reason for the change well enough. Hope you enjoyed this installment, we will get to actual plot in the next chapter.

Please review!


	3. The Brotherhood

A/N well here it is the next chapter. This story won't be long but I hope it will satisfy your appetites for a good story.

**Chapter Three**

**The Brotherhood**

"Mother, I think I am going to need to invite a few people over this summer. I already know who is going to be high up in the brotherhood. I need them here first before we recruit anyone else." Aidan explained to Narcissa.

"Of course, we have more then enough room. Who are you inviting?" She asked graciously.

"Cedric of course, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Hannah Abbott, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwik, and Uncle Severus." He listed off. "I think the smaller amount of people that know everything the better. I have known these people the longest and trust them over anyone else." Aidan's features were sharpened by worry and thought, the stress of the situation was starting to make itself known and honestly Narcissa had been wondering when this was going to happen.

Aidan held too much back not letting other people see him that way or help. He was trying to tackle a war without an army and it had been slowly pulling him apart in the last few years. Hopefully this new prophecy, with it's explicit instructions to gather generals and fighters, would help him not only win this fight but come out in one piece later on down the road.

"Aidan please promise me you won't try and take on this all on your own. You are too independent and way too foolhardy for my tastes. You have power, anyone with half a mind can see that, but power is not enough." Narcissa started rising from her comfortable chair to stare strait into her son's icy green eyes.

"You are going to need help whether you like it, or want it, you will have to take it. You will have to fight against your very instincts if you truly want to win." She pressed on trying to impress upon him the importance of her words.

"I know that Mother, but knowing and doing are two different things. I hold people's lives in my hands one word from me and someone lives or dies. I am being forced to ask children to fight a war they shouldn't even know about." Aidan answered gravely lowering his head allowing his multicolored hair to spill into his face.

"I know that, but think about it another way. You are the only thing standing between life and death for this world. You have been warned that you can't do it alone and it would be suicidal to ignore that warning. Every person you take with you to fight will have to make the choice for themselves to fight or not. They will know the risks and understand that not all of them will return from this. You are in no way responsible for there deaths. It was there choice and a death eaters wand that did it." Narcissa pressed even harder.

"This still won't be easy." Aidan admonished.

"Nothing in life is ever simple or easy. Nothing would be appreciated if it was brought to you without a sacrifice. Sometimes the choices are simple, and the sacrifice minimal, but war is not one of those times." She explained.

"I hate gambling with people's lives." he said resignedly, conceding to her will gracefully.

"You will do just fine. Now go assemble your generals I have faith in you my son." She answered with pride swelling her chest. Aidan may not have been a child of her womb but he was the child of her heart just as much as Draco.

Aidan nodded to his mother and swept from the room a new determination to his stride. He had started out a child full of innocence, had grown into a powerful adolescent, had learned the arts of warriors, and now the final step was the weight of leadership pressed firmly into his shoulders. He carried his past scars with ease and acceptance, both those of his body and mind. They had molded him into the wizard he had become and he wouldn't change it even if he could.

Less then a day later and all the people he had invited were at the manor. Aidan was shocked and awed by the speed of their arrival. These truly were his strongest and most loyal allies, and they had been that way since they were children.

"Aidan what happened?" Cedric was the first one to speak and his calm voice was desperately needed for Aidan to gather his thoughts.

"Another prophecy was made, and the old lies in dust. I was hoping for once I would be left out of Fate's game but apparently she if very fond of making me her chew toy. This time I am not alone in its words but I wish that were not the case." Aidan explained quickly his voice sounding drained.

"Why would you rather be alone?" Hannah asked.

"Because in the second one it makes me responsible for the lives of others. The first was simple it was him or me, others were not to get involved. That has now changed." Aidan explained. "Those that fight with me have just as much chance of dieing as me and that still remains fifty-fifty."

"Aidan I hate to break it to you but you were never going off to Voldemort alone. This prophecy just makes it so destiny allows us to do what we would have done anyway." Blaise answered.

"What do you need us to do?" Pansy asked.

Aidan squared off his shoulders lifted his head and answered with a note of command in his voice, The speed at which he snapped into leader mode astounded most of the people around him.

"Gather everyone you know that is either neutral or can be swayed to our side. Make sure they are aware they will be fighting in a war that could take their lives. Bring their names to me one at a time. When we get back to Hogwarts I will call them all together and start training them. The stronger we are the easier it will be to sway people from other sides to ours." Aidan commanded.

"When we are training and ordering our side I need you to be my eyes and ears. You are my generals and answer to no one but me. You will each have a section of our forces at your command. Know now that I don't like taking others into my battle, but if I have then I am going to make bloody sure we can win. Our forces will be strong and smart. They will not have the sheer numbers of the others, but if we do this right we wont need numbers." Aidan continued to explain further breaking down the plan. For someone who was reluctant to lead he was doing a damn fine job.


	4. Aidan and Severus Interlude

A/N hey I know it is short but I wanted a bit of interaction between Aidan and Severus before the big action starts. I know it is similar to the conversation with Narcissa but they serve a similar purpose and are slightly different questions.

Chapter Four

Aidan and Severus Interlude

"Aidan, can I talk to you in my lab for a moment?" Severus called to the younger wizard.

"Sure, what do you need to talk to me about?" Aidan asked his surrogate uncle while walking with him to the lab he had been given years ago by the Malfoys.

"I just wanted to know how you are holding up, tomorrow is September first." Severus explained.

"Everything is in place and I know how to get everyone together. I geuss I am a bit nervous that no one will bother to listen to me." Aidan said truthfully.

"Why wouldn't they?" Severus asked gently.

"Everyone has been fed lies for so long I would imagine a lot of them are sick of the treatment. I'm afraid they think I am either another Voldemort out for power, or a Dumbledore in it for glory. I don't want either. Yet I know to make peace for the wizarding world I am going to put my fighters through pain, and manipulation, just like the other two. So am I really any different? Is it worth it to make every follow me when it will still be exactly the same?" Aidan said frustratingly. His mother would not have understood this side of his worries. He was talking to the only one of them to have personal dealings with both Voldemort and Dumbledore. If anyone were to confirm or deny Aidan's worries it would be him.

"Aidan I am not going to lie to you, yes you will have to do both those things. That does not make you as bad as them. Be honest with your fighters. Do what neither the Dark Lord nor Dumbledore ever did and that is give a choice." Severus put an arm around Aidan's shoulders realizing just how tall Aidan had grown.

"Is a choice really that important when lives are at stake?" Aidan asked morosely.

"Absolutely, choice is everything Aidan. It is our choices that shape our destiny. A prophecy was broken because of choices, and a prophecy will be fulfilled because of them as well." Severus said pointedly.

"But I will have to sit back and watch them die!" Aidan screamed out in frustration.

"Yes, some of them are going to die, that is unfortunately the nature of war. Don't let their deaths be in vain let them help you fight harder." Severus said holding tighter to the frustrated wizard.

"Why did Fate put their lives in my hands? Hell my own family got rid of me." Aidan said voicing his most common thought.

"Would you really have been happy with them? Aidan you saw how your siblings turned out and now look at yourself. No child should be abandoned for their reasoning, but you came out all the stronger for it." Severus said as his hand kept Aidan's chin up not letting him look down.

That was all it took for Aidan's restraint to break. He soon had Severus wrapped in a tight hug. A hug he would normally reserve for his father. This was the one adult that was his constant. He would never forget the night he had been taken from Hogwarts to the Dursleys. Lucius had been a wonderful father, but there would always be a gap there. He had missed those crucial younger years with the Malfoys. There were just some things that were saved for just Aidan and Severus.

"It's getting late, you have to catch the express tomorrow you should get some sleep." Severus half commanded.

"I don't think I am going to be able to sleep. What have you been working on in here?" Aidan asked hopefully.

"Alright you can stay up and work with me, I have just been filling the order from Madame Pomfrey. All she needs now is Burn Salve and Pepper Up, if you could brew the slave I can finish up the Pepper Up." Severus allowed easily.

Please Review!


	5. Back to Hogwarts

A/N Ok anyone following more than one of my stories knows this update is coming out of order. This is because I want to get this series done. Looking through my notes this story has the least left for me to work on. Again this will not be a long story but it will tie up as many loose ends as possible. Oh and I want to mention in my story Cedric was a sixth year in GoF ok? The way I worked it is his birthday was before they could enter their names making him eighteen when he graduated. 

Chapter Five

Back to Hogwarts

The next morning was hectic and chalk full of activity. Everything had been packed the night before but it was still an ordeal to gather up the various pets and last minutes items that could not be packed earlier on. The Malfoy family was lucky they were allowed to apparate onto the Platform or they could have been very late to the point of missing the train.

Aidan and Draco carried themselves proudly as they boarded the train for their sixth year at Hogwarts. The enthusiastic goodbyes had been said at the manor so they were able to contain themselves to polite waves goodbye.

Soon their compartment was filling with the Brotherhood of Orion. It was not an official meeting but the students involved just felt safer the closer they were to Aidan. Their leader was currently totally oblivious to their attachment. He was concentrating more on the mental plans he had been building up for this year. If his plans worked right Dumbledore could be taken care of by Christmas and Voldemort by June. With both of them out of the way it would leave the path clear to make some pretty drastic changes at the Ministry of Magic. They had to work at that fast pace or the danger of discovery was just too great and he refused to put his fighters in more danger then necessary.

Aidan's inner musings were cut short as the compartment door slid open, with a hesitation none of his friends would use when entering. Looking up he caught the direct gaze of a pair of frightened hazel eyes. Eyes that were surrounded by dark rings, sunk deep into a face that had once been plump now thin. The rest of the body the eyes were located in showed signs of extreme grief, large amounts of weight had been shed in a short period of time, and had a slump to the shoulders never before seen on this figure.

Aidan stared at the grieving form of his former brother and a small piece of his iced over heart began to melt. Not noticeably just yet, but he too knew what it was like to lose a family. Rose had been everything to Diarmid, the one thing that had never changed in his short life and now she was gone, ripped away by a monster with a serpentine tongue.

"What do you want Diarmid?" Aidan kept his voice neutral; the hesitancy he had used to enter the compartment spoke of great changes in the younger boy.

"Can I sit with you?" He asked sounding a bit like a frightened mouse, no traces of his former arrogance in it, just yet anyway.

"Why should I let you?" Aidan asked curiously. He really wanted the answer to that one.

"Because I don't have anywhere else to go," He said hanging his head.

"What do you mean you don't have any place to go? You had lots of friends the last time I checked." Aidan pointed out.

"No I didn't, those were Rose's friends not mine. It just doesn't feel right to sit with them with what happened." Diarmid admitted to his ex-older brother.

"Why come to me? I would think you would want to stay as far away from me as possible. You and Rose certainly made it clear you hated me." With that statement Aidan shifted his features slightly so the light caught the scars on his face he had acquired from Rose during their first year.

"I never hurt you Aidan, I didn't help you either, but it was Rose doing the hurting. I know my parents hurt you but hear me out I think you were the luckiest of the three of us." Diarmid started to say shifting from foot to foot.

"I do want to hear your reasoning for this, you might as well come sit down, but bear in mind if we want you to leave when it's over do yourself a favor and just do it." Aidan decided after a quick appraising glance at the rest of the compartment.

"Thank you," Diarmid said as he carefully chose a seat across from Aidan between Hannah and Blaise.

"You were the only one of the three of us to get away from it all." Diarmid started his story smoothly, you could still hear the nervous tone but he had dropped his guard a little. "Rose and I never got a break from the spotlight. Our parents lapped it up though and drug us to every event and ball the ministry even thought about hosting. At first Rose and I had an equal loathing of the parading around in robes starched within an inch of our lives. As we got older though Rose grew to enjoy the attention while I just grew used to it and followed her lead.

We were always called the Children-Who-Lived I am guessing half the people that talked to us didn't know our first names, we were always a unit never an individual.

When we got to Hogwarts I thought I might have escaped a little of the reins on me, I know you think it was me who got myself in early but that isn't the case. Father and Mother refused to teach if Dumbledore didn't let me come too. My last hope was to go to a different house then Rose so maybe we could be known as individuals and not a unit. I argued with the hat to put me anywhere but Gryffindor and I was dead scared of Slytherin. The hat said I had enough loyalty to go into Hufflepuff and put me there. It was my parents again who ruined it, they only wanted Gryffindors. When you got sorted into Slytherin you were cut free, I saw how Mother and Father treated you in class after the disownment, but I know if you had been in Gryffindor you would be stuck under their thumb like I was.

Would you really give up all you have now for a gilded cage? I went along with Rose because it was the only way I could get through. She knew my opinions on fame and even if she didn't understand why a person wouldn't like it she protected me from the worst of the adulation, by taking it unto herself. It was a win-win situation but now that she is gone I have nothing and no one to fall back on. I had acted like a jerk for too long. When I was doing that I never thought there would be a time when I didn't have my sister to fall back on." His story ended with his voice choked up, and tears swimming at the edge of his vision.

"So instead of falling onto the sister who controlled you, you came to the brother that was abandoned?" Cedric asked the much younger boy. He noticed that Aidan was too busy thinking to ask the question.

"He was the only one I could think of that if he accepted me it wouldn't be for my fame. It was him or any other Slytherin but I have noticed most of them are his friends anyway." Diarmid answered before he really noticed who had asked the question. "Hey, didn't you graduate last year?"

"Yeah, but Madame Pomfrey has asked me to become her apprentice and I will be staying at the castle for two more years." Cedric answered with a kind smile.

"Diarmid, exactly what do you want from me?" Aidan asked coming out of his self imposed trance.

"I know it is too much to ask for you to treat me as a brother, but I thought we could try to be friends. I can attempt to get my parents to back off from their vendetta against you." Diarmid asked.

With that answer Aidan looked towards Draco, "What do you think Brother, do you think you can share?" Aidan asked with a hint of a grin.

"I don't know Aidan," He said sizing up Diarmid, but Aidan could see the mirth in his eyes, "I think I could manage, but if he hurts you he deals with me too." Draco said definitively. His proud pureblood act shot to hell when he bounced on his heels and stuck his nose in the air. With that Aidan couldn't take it anymore and his smile widened and he started to laugh. His laughter sparking the rest of the compartment to giggles, before Diarmid knew it he was laughing with the rest of them and no one was giving him funny looks. His brother had accepted him so they would too.

When they finally reached the school the students all had to scatter to their respective tables, Cedric proudly taking his seat at the head table next to the nurse, winking at Aidan as he sat and started to converse with his new colleagues.

The waited patiently through the sorting and Dumbledore's usual announcements. Aidan having to restrain the death glares just asking to be released. The arrival of the feast saved Dumbledore the pain of finding out just how possible it was to cast a wandless and wordless Avada Kedavra.

A/N well what do you think?

I had an interesting review the last time that had an observation in it worthy of me answering here. This reviewer took note of my use of the line Fate's chew toy, and this reviewer was partially correct, yes I am a pagan, a Druid to be precise, but my views on fate are more of a personal observation then a religious thing. To me fate is neither male nor female, substance nor spirit. Fate can be anywhere or anything. Fate can be a dog if that is what it wishes. If I have to give fate a form it is usually female but that is my preference not Fate's.


	6. The Gathering of Allies

Chapter Six

The Gathering of Allies

The Room of Requirement was definitely a wonderful addition to Hogwarts castle. Its very existence was the sole reason Aidan's plan had any hope of actually succeeding. It was in this room he would command his small but well trained forces, that was as soon as he acquired a few of these forces.

The first few meetings of the brotherhood yielded little results, and Aidan had made the decision not to include Diarmid at this stage of the game. The boy meant well but he would be a weak link they couldn't afford. His friendship was too new to be trusted in the inner circle. That meant recruitment had to be done underneath his nose, without him noticing.

Aidan had each of his fully trusted friends feeling out for potential allies amongst their respective allies, a few good prospects were forthcoming but he noticed he did not have a contact in Ravenclaw house other than its head and that just wasn't enough to get the best students. He really needed a member of that house in his inner circle but he wasn't sure who to trust just yet. The others had been so firmly ingrained in his mind he just was not sure he could tell friend from foe just yet.

Severus bringing up the possibility of spies scared the dickens out of him. Just the thought that one person in the wrong place with the right info and his entire network of fighters would be in jeopardy made him shudder. Despite all the assurances of his skill he knew he could make mistakes and he just couldn't afford that.

With this knowledge weighing heavily on him he scanned the Ravenclaw table with his magic. Each student's aura shone brightly in his focused gaze. He wanted the aura with the most colors mixed within it. Pastel primary colors were the weakest auras while bold secondary colors were the strongest. As close as Aidan could explain it, and his opinions had changes a lot since first year, those with primary colors were good in just one or two areas, while those with secondary colors had a more general area of expertise. The depth of the color showed how much power was backing the expertise. Draco for example had a blue aura but it was deep and bold saying that within his smaller area of expertise he was exceptionally strong.

It was his third day of meticulous scanning that he came across his most promising aura so far. The aura was a deep purple, and it belonged to a slim fifth year girl with bright blonde hair and big blue eyes, wait a minute were those _radishes_ in her ears?

She was just unusual enough to grab Aidan's attention. A little Legilimency later and he had his answer. This girl would be an intelligent and loyal addition to his side; he just needed to explain that there was a third choice. This girl really wanted another option; luckily enough Aidan was that other option. Not to mention her unique outlook would inject some much needed levity when the rest of the world was fighting to the death.

On the third Saturday after returning to school several students found notes addressed to them left in highly conspicuous spots, just waiting to be picked up and read, they all said the same thing.

_A third option is available to you, do not be afraid, we will not harm you. The time has come to act and this letter will become a portkey as soon as you reach the bottom. _

_Sincerely, _

_The Brotherhood of Orion_

Suddenly the receivers of the notes felt a jerk behind their navels and were soon crash landing in a room many of them didn't know existed. One of the braver ones found his voice, "What is the meaning of this?" He asked daringly.

"I trust you read the notes?" Aidan said melting out of the shadows much like his mentor Severus liked to do.

"You sent those?" Another asked.

"Obviously, anyway you were all chosen to come here because my forces have found you to be searching for a third option correct?" Aidan asked confirming his information.

A few hesitant nods met his speech.

"Don't be afraid like the note said we won't harm you. I want to explain my side to you." Aidan said and launched into his explanation. Not sharing the prophecy, because these ones didn't need to know just yet. He just said he was willing to fight both sides and give people a choice in what to fight for.

At the end of his speech most were struck dumb, but they all had cool calculating expressions, their previous doubts forgotten in the wake of hearing their desires spoken by one who had the power to give it to them.

Aidan was surprised when the answer was a unanimous yes, and the relief at not having to Obliviate anyone was obvious.

"You need to know this room has several charms on it. If any of you try and tell an authority figure about this plot the results will not be pleasant. I am not a purely Light wizard never forget that. Your task is to feel out as many of your fellow classmates as possible. See who has similar opinions to you. They will all be reached through the same method so don't go telling all secrets in the middle of the hallway where anyone can see got it?" Aidan explained easily. It was becoming simpler and simpler to give commands and see them followed. He was falling into the leadership role nicely.

"You may go now, but I would like a word with Luna please?" He both dismissed and asked.

The students followed his orders and soon he was left with his inner circle and Luna. "Luna I have a proposition for you. I need a person from your house in my inner circle. Would you like to join? You would be better protected, but it comes at the price of being in more danger." Aidan said laying all cards on the table.

Everyone except for Aidan was surprised when Luna's expression changed from one of disinterest to one that would be better placed on a Slytherin. "Why me? I won't be much help the others do not take me seriously." Luna said evenly.

"I just need you to watch and observe. You see more then you let on I can tell. Watch the others and come to me if you see a problem, no matter how small, small things can grow and we can't afford that." Aidan asked her, he had known beneath the act there was a reason she was sorted into Ravenclaw.

"I will join your inner circle, but don't expect great things from me." She warned as she accepted.

"But you are capable of great things I only ask you do your best, I can't ask for anymore." Aidan explained. She looked like she didn't believe him but she kept silent not calling him on it.

The weeks leading up to Halloween saw more notes passed from hand to hand. Every night Aidan had to initiate two or three more students. He couldn't believe the amount of people willing to go in for a third side. He had all the Slytherins, two thirds of the Hufflepuffs, half the Ravenclaws, and a few Gryffindors. Aidan had even slowly taken over Diarmid, and that was surprisingly easy. He didn't want to be a part of the side that had controlled him for years.

Basic training had already started but now was the time to act. The forces needed to be trained and fast.

A/N yeah another chapter done. This might be the last one today but I am not sure. I might write a chapter for my other ones. We will just see how the day goes. Please review!


	7. The Chamber

Rapture of the Innocent

DaggersBloodPain

A/N just one small warning this chapter will introduce a heavily ooc Moaning Myrtle, oh and remember the term Hunterrefers toAidan's inner circle.

Chapter Seven

The Chamber

It took another month of tense searching to select the wanted students. In that time Aidan had breezed through his classes. Not having to hide his position from the headmaster had allowed him to release the restraints on his magic. He was finally able to use all the power and gifts he possessed. It was an absolute relief to feel his magic running through him again. The summers just weren't long enough in that respect. He was also proving he had the power he proclaimed he did to the new recruits, which then turned into a warning for the other sides to watch out.

His evenings were spent in the hospital wing with Madame Pomfrey and Cedric. He had explained to the nurse that he wanted basic wizarding First-Aid knowledge. He might just need it before the war was over. He didn't tell the nurse he was also learning this from Severus, he figured the more the better.

His lessons with Severus were another story. The older wizard was working him hard. Giving him the strength to fight and win, and because Severus had been his teacher and mentor long before Hogwarts he knew Aidan's limits more than anyone who was not Aidan himself. Severus was also helping Aidan figure out exactly what to teach the Brotherhood.

The worst part about the time spent away from training was his ex-parents were actually trying to make up to him. He could forgive Diarmid simply because he had been too young to know what was happening the night they sent him away. His parents had willfully and knowingly abandoned him. Even with the knowledge he had a better childhood because of it doesn't mean the abandonment didn't hurt. Fortunately for Aidan it didn't take the Potters long to realize they had lost all rights to their eldest child the night they allowed him to be carried away in a strangers arms wrapped in a green blanket.

When the students were finally gathered he was surprised by the sheer amount of people willing to support his side over the others. His friends had gone above and beyond what he had been hoping for, and he was awash with gratitude. There were so many people Aidan didn't think it would be safe to use the Room of Requirements. Too much magic inside of it could render the sentient magic unreliable, and they really didn't need the door to become visible with them still inside. Therefore he consulted with Sarlassa and Zafirah who now knew the castle from top to bottom, having been exploring it for the last five years. It was Sarlassa who had the best solution.

"Why don't you use Slytherin's chamber?" The snake asked.

"Because I am the only one who can open the door," Aidan explained slowly, as if speaking to a small child.

"You have an invisibility spell, use it to stay at the entrance to open the door, without the risk of getting caught waiting on the next group." The serpent replied smugly, knowing she had thrown Aidan's condescending tone right back at him.

"That might work, but how do we explain groups of students all going to the same place at the same time? If even one of the portraits, or Merlin forbid one of the ghosts, sees us and informs Dumbledore of the happenings we will be discovered." Aidan said trying to find the holes in the deceptively simple plan.

"The old man can't get into the Chamber." Sarlassa pointed out.

"We would have to come out sooner or later, he would catch us then." Aidan reminded his long time friend.

"Just because there is only one entrance does not mean there is only one exit." Sarlassa rebuffed sharply.

"How is that possible?" Aidan asked incredulously.

"Some doors are only opened from within the Chamber. The old man does not know these exits exist, he didn't even know about the entrance until your second year. I can guarantee that, I stayed in his office to listen in to what he said after you left. He honestly did not know that entrance was there. If he comes to find all students back in their beds in his search how can he prove who it was?" Sarlassa asked slyly.

"What about the Door Guardians, they will know who just returned?" He questioned.

"If that was true the other Speaker would have been caught much sooner, preventing the death." She said driving her point home.

"I hope you are right." Aidan said giving in to the serpent's demands.

"Speaker, you may not understand this yet, but you will not be alone in your efforts to protect your fighters. The stones of this castle speak to those that listen; they profess their weariness and annoyance at the evil that wonders these halls. They will help you when the time comes to drive that evil away. Do not underestimate the strength of stone and rock." She explained earnestly, crawling up Aidan's body in a serpentine hug, giving him the comfort he craved.

"I make it my job to never underestimate anything or anyone. That may just be the last thing you do." Aidan agreed.

"Good," Sarlassa answered primly before releasing her master and slithering off in search of an unsuspecting rodent for her supper.

Aidan was left mulling over their conversation. He felt their plan would work out, but there were a lot of unknowns to figure out first. They would need to know where the alternate exits were and if a non-parselmouth could open them. Aidan also wondered if there wasn't a slight possibility he could teach a few of his more linguistically inclined friends how to say 'open' in Parseltongue, no one had ever told him if someone could learn the snake language, if they could it would be extremely helpful.

He decided he would scout out the Chamber with Sarlassa later that evening, and see what he could find out about the exits, without a safe place to meet any other plans would soon be obsolete.

Aidan waited until his serpentine friend returned from her hunting trip, and asked her to show him where the exits were. It turned out there was an exit leading directly into each House common room. That would explain why they were only one way. During the Founders era when the Chamber had been built Slytherin would need a way to contact the other houses in an emergency, as well as keep an eye on his own house. He didn't want a student stumbling into his private area, thus the one way nature of the exits.

Aidan brought the Hunters down with him the next day. They were all working on cleaning up the Chamber and readying it for a large group of people all casting high level defensive and offensive magic. The Chamber itself had a dampening effect on any magic preformed within it, so no one outside of the main chamber felt anything unusual. That interesting little tidbit had been just one out of the immensely useful bits of information Aidan had managed to glean from Moaning Myrtle, the bathroom's resident ghost, she had been attempting to spy on Aidan's group when he found her.

The ghostly witch proved to be the useful little goldmine of information. After her death she had spent quite some time exploring the source of her death. Her failed espionage attempt was for purely selfish reasons. She was curious about the boy that had saved another from the same fate as herself. In her life she hadn't been lucky enough to have someone willing to save her. She was willing to tell Aidan some secrets that had stayed hidden from the general population since the castle had been constructed.

"Aidan, I think we have done all we can. The Chamber is ready, we can start training." Draco reported to his brother as Aidan was casting a few last minute charms, purely for the comfort of the students. The Hunters all blissfully ignored the fact he was not using a wand to clean up and dry out the Chamber.

"Alright, I think we should give everyone a few days to prepare. I would say next Tuesday we should have the Hunters from each house gather up their housemates that wish to attend. Tell them to come in groups to the Room of Requirement and their groups under Invisibility spells, if we are lucky we can mislead Dumbledore into thinking we are using the Room of Requirement for training, that way he doesn't suspect just how large the Brotherhood has become. On the off chance the Headmaster manages to catch a group of students already under invisibility spells going towards the Chamber, he will only find one of the groups and not all of us. If the people he catches are all from the same house they can claim they were practicing the Charms and wondering if anyone can see through it. Keep the lie simple or Dumbledore will see through it in a heartbeat." Aidan outlined the plan he had worked out with Sarlassa's help the night before.

"You know Dumbledore uses Legilimency, how do we shield all this from him?" Draco asked with a barely noticeable worried frown.

"Occulomency will be one thing I will be teaching, and fast. Until everyone learns it though, I am banking on Dumbledore loving his position more than his drive to stall us. Practicing Legilimency on a person without their consent is illegal. It carries the risk of a couple years in Azkaban, but I have no doubt Dumbledore could get out of that easily enough. It will however automatically fire him from all posts, and make the acquirement of new jobs nearly impossible. I don't want to push it too hard though, Dumbledore may be starting to get desperate. We just won't talk about exactly what we are training for until everyone has good Occulomency shields. For all Dumbledore knows at the moment, we are training to fight with him." He explained easily, having been thinking that very issue over.

"I just hope no one gets caught, but with Severus, McGonagall, and Flitwik on our side I am sure they could distract the Headmaster for the time we need to get everyone here." Draco added logically.

"I was hoping to have one of the three with us for the lessons. Though Severus would probably scare them too much at first." Aidan contemplated.

"I agree but I find it funny." Draco explained, he had always gotten a kick out of the student's reaction to their mutual godfather.

"So do I, but I definitely think it would be a good idea to bring Uncle Severus would be better coming in later. I mean if they are already confident in their ability to do the spells, he will have less of an effect." Aidan explained, reverting back to the old nickname he had given Severus when he was still living with the Dursleys.

"True but I think you are plotting something else?" Draco asked knowing Aidan never did anything without reason.

"Yeah, maybe it would be good for them to learn with him as a teacher, because if Uncle Severus can make most of them wet themselves just by _looking_ at them. How will they be able to stand up to Voldemort, or Dumbledore with those two shouting various painful and deadly curses?" Aidan explained exasperated.

"Ahh, I see your point, tough decision there, well brother of mine it's up to you." Draco said flippantly.

"Thanks bro, you're a big help." Aidan said and really wouldn't be surprised if sarcasm was literally dripping from his words.

"Anytime," Draco answered pompously, carefully polishing his nails on his shirt and inspecting them.

"Prat," Aidan replied shortly.

"Yeah but I'm _your_ prat." Draco said with completely faked innocence.

"Keep telling yourself that." Harry said in a condescending tone, reaching out to pat Draco's pale cheek.

Both boys then took the opportunity to descend into gales of helpless laughter. Leaning against each other for support as the laughing rendered them weak. Of course it was that moment Blaise found them.

He raised one immaculate eyebrow at the spectacle of the two powerful wizards laughing like hyenas. "Do I even want to know?" He asked and was completely ignored as they had been laughing for so long they could barely breath at this point.

A/N Ok this is the first update in what will (hopefully) become a weekly routine. I have another two chapters of this one written out in my notebook. This is one of my only stories that I am leaving betaless. This is too close to ending for me to bother someone with all that work when I can just as easily go back and edit myself when I get the time. This means that you will get the chapters as soon as they are written out and typed so hopefully I can continue the weekly updates of this one, the days may change around a little but not too badly I hope. For more details I have been writing short progress updates on my profile, and will continue to do so.


	8. The Brotherhood of Orion

Rapture of the Innocent

DaggersBloodPain

A/N yes this chapter is short, but I wanted to get the training montage over with and into the good parts. This story is going to be short but hopefully worth the read.

Chapter Eight

The Brotherhood

The time for training was upon the brotherhood. Everything ran surprisingly smooth and Aidan was just waiting for the other shoe to drop as in something going wrong. He might have been called paranoid if he had been anyone else, and like the t-shirt said sometimes the paranoid person is right.

The first night the most complicated thing about it was the lack of practice getting everyone there without being noticed. Until they learned to trust the plan, and the spells on them, there was going to be quite a few nerve wracking moments. It definitely was a good thing they had several staff members on their side. They did a marvelous job distracting Dumbledore.

The first night Flitwik stepped in to help teach, that was the night many of Hogwarts students figured out you should never underestimate your opponent because of their size. Flitwik was able to use his size to his advantage when dueling and won more often than not.

He turned out to be a valuable asset in training the Brotherhood. The group worked quickly and efficiently learning the spells. No one was at the same level so some spells took longer than others but all together things were moving well.

The first time McGonagall joined them looks of shock were prevalent, while most of them had know the stern witch was on their side, they hadn't really believed it until that moment. Most had assumed she was with Dumbledore until the end. That got people thinking they really had made the right decision picking this side.

She led the students through many complicated defensive spells. Her lessons progressed a lot slower than Flitwik's, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. They needed the extra time to understand the spell for them to use it to the spell's full potential. She patiently guided them into being the best they could be.

Aidan led the group when they needed raw power to demonstrate something the teachers were explaining. He knew the older teachers were better suited to getting his fighters trained correctly. He was the strongest person on his side, no the most knowledgeable.

He was able to spot some unique and powerful gifts amongst his side. The ones he possessed himself he taught to the students who needed to learn. The ones with gifts he didn't posses were closely supervised as they learned control. He ended up being the guinea pig for quite a few of them.

This was something Draco found hilarious of course, for some unknown reason, he just wouldn't leave Aidan alone about it.

"So how is life as the target in target practice?" Draco asked with a smirk spread wide across his face.

"Want to find out?" Aidan growled out to his brother, he was still trying to sort out the latest fiasco, a fifth year Hufflepuff girl had turned out to be a Wandless Empath, which meant she could perform wandless magic using the emotional energy around her or within her. The draw back to her gift was you could be on the receiving end of a myriad of nasty hexes if you upset her when she was angry or scared.

"Oh come on Aidan, I was just teasing, besides you look good in pink." Draco said before grinning and running at top speed away from his now terrifyingly angry brother. He was safe knowing Aidan couldn't follow due the bright magenta skin tone he now sported.

In order to break her hex he had to figure out the right counter. The best perk to working wandlessly was also the downfall of the victim. Because a wand had not contorted the spell, the normal Finite Incantantum didn't work, that charm only worked for wanded spells.

It took about ten minutes for Aidan to counter her spell. Then he took off to find his wayward brother, heck he might even follow through wit his threat to have Draco be the guinea pig at the next meeting. He was so going to pay for the pink comment, he had nothing against the color but it was just rubbing it in his face, revenge was going to be sweet.

Aidan never found Draco that night. His search had taken him past the infirmary doors, and Cedric happened to exit at that moment. He quickly abandoned his search for vengeance in favor of his lover.

Soon Cedric had been told the whole story and his melodious laughter was still bouncing around the room near the infirmary, and more often then not that is where Aidan spent his nights. Although it had taken Cedric awhile to adjust to a large python and a prophetic raven invading his quarters along with Aidan. He had even managed to get used to the nightly Parseltongue conversations between his lover and Sarlassa.

"I almost feel sorry for Draco, he should know better than to tempt you." Cedric commented after he had been told the whole story, and Aidan's plans for revenge.

"Oh, don't worry I will make sure he doesn't get too hurt. I just think he could use a good dose of humanity." Aidan replied with a smirk.

"I didn't think you were going to hurt him, I just know embarrassment can do more damage than physical pain can." Cedric explained.

"I know that and I wouldn't hurt my brother, Mum would kill me, I promise to be good." Aidan said innocently as Cedric rolled his eyes skyward.


	9. Dumbledore is Going Down

**Rapture of the Innocent**

**DaggersBloodPain**

**A/N **A long time in coming but I am almost done with this story. It will not be long but hopefully good.

**Chapter Nine**

**Dumbledore is Going Down**

Christmas vacation caught yp to them quickly. Most of the Brotherhood had decided to stay at Hogwarts so their training could continue. Aidan specifically requesting the members with special gifts to stay. This meant Hogwarts was significantly fuller than it had been in past years.

Aidan knew the Headmaster was bound to do something. He might be an old manipulator that had lost far too much sway, but he was a smart old codger. He would be able to piece the clues together, Aidan didn't know how he would strike back. Dumbledore was unpredictable, and that made him dangerous. Aidan upped his own training sessions to try and be prepared for whatever was thrown at them. They could not afford to grow overconfident.

His hunters had been busy learning how to fight as a single team. In a fight it was these fighters that were going to surround Aidan. They needed to be able to protect him long enough for Aidan to take out either Dumbledore or Voldemort, whichever happened to be fighting at the time. At the rate they were going they were going to have to neutralize Dumbledore before they even made an attempt for the Dark Lord. Dumbledore had too much time and effort invested in his perfect saviors he wasn't about to sit back and let the independent force that was Aidan Liam Malfoy and the Brotherhood get all the notoriety it just wasn't fair!

It was a good thing the rest of the wizarding world did not share Dumbledore's views. The truth had been shocking and unexpected to them but fickle as they had always been, their focus had quickly shifted off the Potter family and to the Malfoy family. Aidan's parents were handling the added press with the usual cool grace you only developed through years of learning, they were true Aristocrats, the difference was in attitude not in the amount of galleons stored in Gringott's vaults.

Draco and Aidan were never found too far apart. Through the years the two of them had come to rely on each other more than typical siblings ever thought of being with the exception of twins. The situations they had found themselves in had pushed them together, and neither boy had any complaints about it. Though this year was slightly different in that they had acquired an ever more persistent shadow in the form of Diarmid Potter. The former Boy-Who-Lived was a member of the Brotherhood, but was not a hunter. Aidan understood his once brother had a good reason for switching sides, but he also knew old loyalties die hard.

He spent as much time with Cedric as he possibly could, but with classes and the apprenticeship, they did not have much time. They still shared rooms at night but most of the time they fell into bed exhausted, leaving little energy for more...umm... rapturous pursuits. They were happy enough just being near each other that the relationship was not strained due to lack of intimacy, they cared for each other in more than just satisfying a need sort of way.

All things must come to an end, and Aidan knew that, so he was not surprised when at the end of the winter break a member of the Brotherhood was called to Dumbledore's office for questioning.

The only saving grace was the fact the member Dumbledore had chosen was Ivy Anderson, the wandless empath from Hufflepuff house. Thanks to her and Aidan's hard work at controlling her emotional reactions she was able to refrain from reveling too much in the heat of anger or fear. She couldn't however hide everything.

She had found her way back to Aidan's from Dumbledore's office. By the time she had tracked him down Ivy was shaking with repressed fear and doubt. She practically flew into his arms, and Aidan had a touch time deciphering her speech, which was barely intelligible.

He had been in the library with Draco, and now as Draco watched Aidan deal with an armload of worked up Hufflepuff he asked, "What happened?"

Aidan answered softly over the top of her head as she quieted, but still shook in his arms. "Dumbledore got to her. He now knows about the Brotherhood and the Hunters, she was forced to tell him I was leading it but she managed to keep any other names out of it. I'm impressed not many can willfully stand up to the headmaster, I never want to hear anyone calling Hufflepuffs weak ever again." Aidan said the last part just loud enough for Ivy to hear and know he was proud of her.

"What are we going to do now?" Draco asked calmly, trusting his brother.

"Well first I am going to take Ivy to Cedric, he can give her something to calm her, and then put her to bed. As for Dumbledore when he strikes the Brotherhood, and I know he will, we will strike back twice as hard." Aidan explained as if it was the simplest concept in the world.

"Dumbledore's going down isn't he?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Yes, and he will do it all to himself." Aidan answered mirroring Draco's smirk before he gathered up Ivy and went out of the Library in the general direction of the infirmary.

He laid her down gently on one of the white beds, and waited while Cedric checked her over for any lingering spells or potions before dosing her with a light green calming potion and tucking her in for a well deserved rest.

"Cedric, Dumbledore has gone too far. He lets Death Eater children run unchecked in Hogwarts determined to give them all 'second chances' for the small price of their soul of course, but he dares to go after the Brotherhood when we have never openly defied him before." Aidan said tiredly.

"You are planning something big arn't you?" Cedric said easily reading the tiredness in Aidan's voice correctly. Aidan was about to do something he really didn't want to do but he had to.

"Yes, Dumbledore is not going to go quietly into the background there has to be some show of the switch of power. My one interview isn't going to be enough when all things are done." Aidan explained.

"You are going to challenge him." Cedric said with some dread, Aidan was powerful but Dumbledore had over a century of practice.

"It is the only way. I have to fight him on even ground with witness's. I have to prove I really am strong enough to lead our forces into battle. This is one fight I have to win, and I have to do it alone." Aidan said with reserved surety.


	10. Challenge

**Rapture of the Innocent**

**DaggersBloodPain**

**A/N **I am almost done with this story, about three more chapters and an epilogue to go. There is not going to be a very extended fight scene just because I get sick of writing them after about the tenth time or so, therefore I have written a very stylized battle scene for this story, I hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter Ten**

**Challenge**

The students of Hogwarts were all enjoying a relaxing dinner after a tough day of classes. Few noticed the absence of a few key people, and those that did shrugged it off us unimportant. As the meal was winding down and drawing to a close the doors to the Great Hall burst open with a ripple of palpable magic.

In the doorway a figure stood robed completely in black with a hood drawn up to shade his face, as the figure was most definitely male as shown by the closely fitted robes. He was tall and deceptively lean, but any further identifying markings were completely covered.

His voice was heard, strong and confidant, "Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, I challenge you to a magical duel to find out once and for all who the strongest wizard is!"

"Identify yourself and name your terms," Dumbledore commanded no trace of the kindly old grandfather persona.

"My name is Aidan Liam Malfoy, as for my terms no Unforgivables, and no wands." Aidan announced as he pushed his hood back to reveal his scarred face and calico hair. "The match does not end until one of us is either incapacitated or admits defeat. The winner gets full control of the Light forces in the fight against the Dark Lord."

"I accept your terms and your Challenge!" There was a flash of magic as the magical contract was sealed by the Headmaster's response.

The students watched with rapt attention and followed instructions blindly as they were herded out of their seats and the Great Hall was turned into a dueling room just like the second year dueling club disaster. The long platform conjured up was quickly surrounded as safety wards were placed up by the Professors, the layering of each Professor's spell creating an impenetrable barrier to protect the children.

Dumbledore claimed one side of the platform as Aidan calmly went to the other. Both wizards were almost unnaturally calm about the whole thing, they both had a reputation on the line Dumbledore's which he had taken many years to achieve the high regard in which he was held by the general population, and Aidan's which had slowly been building amongst the students since the day he had taken in and cared for an injured Hufflepuff. Dumbledore's was built off of awe, a little bit of fear, and a dash of mystery. Aidan's was built off of good deeds that were immediate and real.

Aidan was aware of nothing beyond his opponent and the comfortable surge of magic flowing through his veins. They bowed low to each other and Aidan felt his heart beating in a steady rhythm as he released the first few blasts of magic, all tightly controlled and testing. These first few strikes were barely a tenth of his power but you could feel the charge in the air from the crackling magic.

He felt the return blows emanating from Dumbledore. Their two magics blending together and washing the spectators with the current as it rose goose flesh onto their skin and stood the hair up straight from the backs of their necks.

His opponent and him kept up with the measured testing blows. Aidan slowly and smoothly sliding up the power he used for each blast, feeling Dumbledore do the same. Blast for blast they kept up with each other no visible signs of weakness or fatigue. Aidan did not know what he was looking for with his testing strikes but he knew this was the right course o action. He was not going to reveal his full power unless he had to. He knew there were at least a few Voldemort supporters watching who would immediately report back to their parents exactly what happened. He wanted the Dark Lord to consider him a threat but he needed to keep back some surprises for when they fought.

Dumbledore was beginning to sweat with the amount of power he had to control. What had once been an asset to him was now a hindrance. His power was too great for him to really control this tightly in his advancing age. He did not have the early practice that Aidan had and his body had not adapted to the huge flow of magic wandless magic took like Aidan. He had used a wand for far too many years before learning wandless, for him to be able to use it to its fullest extent.

In other words Aidan calling a completely wandless duel took away Dumbledore's biggest advantage his experience. Aidan had the upper hand in this duel because he had grown and developed as a completely wandless wizard during his formative years. To him a wand was a tool not a crutch like it was for most wizards. He was actually better off without his wand.

Why Dumbledore didn't see that when Aidan laid down the terms Aidan didn't know. He assumed the headmaster had grown overconfident in his power. He couldn't comprehend another, much younger, wizard being that much stronger than him. He might have been right if they were allowed wands but he was digging his own grave with this one.

By the time Aidan saw the sweat on Dumbledore he was up to using about half of his power per blast and the headmaster was struggling with this level. He saw where a few quick strikes could have him down and he took them swiftly.

Dumbledore was on his knees, there was no blood drawn and no injuries but he was exhausted. "I concede defeat." He whispered in a voice that matched his years.

"I will give you the dignity of leaving under your own violation. You were once the greatest of us, no one, not even myself can take that from you. It is time for you to retire and the new generation to take over where you left off." Aidan said bowing gracefully and letting the Headmaster keep his dignity. He had won fair and square there was no reason to kick a dog while it was already down.

A/N well what do you think of it?


	11. War Room

**Rapture of the Innocent**

**DaggersBloodPain**

**A/N **I am starting to get sick of all the unfinished stories I have on my account. This one should be finished in a few hours if I relax and write so I will try and do that. It really is despicable how long I take to update stories I love. Oh well hopefully this one will be out of the way and I can move on to my other stories. Also my books are not with me at the moment so I cannot look up names of certain places so please bare with me on spelling accidents.

**Chapter Eleven **

**War Room**

Aidan swept into the room with a confidant air about him. It was the evening after his defeat of Dumbledore and he had wasted no time in calling a meeting of the key people in the war. All of the Hogwarts professors were there as well as the Order and several wizards from the ministry including his parents. His Hunters had entered behind him.

They were meeting in a secure conference room rented out by Gringotts. Aidan wanted the first meeting under his command to be on completely neutral ground.

"Why are they here children have no place in war!" Molly Weasley was the first one to speak after Aidan had led his group of Hunters.

"These children as you call them are far better trained than most of the Order so I am going to ignore that comment." Aidan answered coldly.

"Why should we listen to you? You are nothing more than a spoiled child with no real power." James Potter spat out at his one time son.

Aidan let the hold he had on his magic relax letting his aura blaze into sight. "You were more than willing to let your precious children go off and die, as long as you could share in the glory as their father you were happy. Yet if the person saving your arse is in no way connected to you in a positive light then a spoiled child has no right to tell you what to do?" He nearly hissed.

"Stop this right now, there is far more important things to discuss than who has the biggest vendetta against whom." Madame Bones spoke up from her place at the long table.

"You are absolutely correct Madame, I am sorry for the delay." Aidan admitted graciously.

"You can't just let him tell you what to do can you?" James cried indignantly.

"Shut up and act your age for once Potter. Lives are at stake." Lucius interrupted smoothly.

"What do you know about it you filthy Death Eater you are probably just waiting to report to your Master what happened here. You probably roll over for him like a bitch in heat." James hollered back scathingly.

James soon found himself with several wands pointed to various vital parts as the words left his mouth. Aidan was much more direct and simply grabbed him by the throat with his bare hand and lifted him off the ground.

"If you ever insult my father like that again I will personally kill you." He warned being deadly serious, his eyes glowing from rage and suppressed magic. He tossed James to the side like a rag doll and calmly took his seat at the head of the table, his Hunters staying close with Cedric on his right and Draco at his left.

"Let's get down to business we have already wasted too much time. What do we know of Voldemort's current location?"

"He is still in residence at Riddle manor in Little Hangelton. He has several wards up, the only means of entry is apparation, but the person must carry the dark mark to pass through the wards without getting killed." Kingsley Shaklebolt reported.

"You are telling me Dumbledore knew his location and how to get in and has done nothing about it?" Aidan asked incredulously before shaking his head in defeat and continuing on. "That kind of ward could be to our advantage if used wisely."

"How? The only people with Dark Mark's on our side are your father and Severus, I admit they are good duelists but if they were strong enough to take out Voldemort they would have done it already." McGonagall inquired.

"I see Dumbledore was withholding information again. They are not the only ones with Dark Marks." Aidan answered respectfully. He pulled his shirt up enough to show the mark on his chest for a few seconds then covered back up.

"When did that happen?" Molly asked in shocked horror.

"The night Voldemort attacked the Potters. He Marked me before trying to kill me to send a message to Dumbledore but fortunately he didn't succeed with the second half of his plan." He explained dryly. "It is a fully functioning Mark so I will be able to pass through the wards on Riddle manor."

"You can't take on Voldemort and the Death Eaters all on your own!" Madame Bones exclaimed.

"I won't have to here is where the rest of you come in. I am going to need a distraction big enough for Voldemort to send at least most of his followers. He loves grand entrances, if I can get through the wards and to him in the time between when the Death Eaters leave and when he does I will be able to duel him one on one." Aidan finally outlined the plan that had been forming ever since he learned about the special ward. Maybe his Marking might just come in handy.

"How do you expect to come out alive?" Shaklebolt questioned.

"Simple, I don't, or at least I am not completely sure I will live. I have finally worked out the meaning behind both prophecies that have been spoken. The old one was never completely voided and the new one was not as literal as we would like to think. In the end I have to face that bastard alone, fate wont have it any other way, but that doesn't mean I can't have help in the form of a diversion. The Brotherhood of Orion was formed to lead the diversionary battle so I can concentrate on killing the Dark Lord." Aidan replied.

"When do you want to pull this off?" Draco queried having as much prior warning to this plan as everyone else at the meeting and that was nothing.

Aidan smirked slowly. "All Hallows Eve would be fitting don't you think?"

A/N I am immediately starting to write the next chapter so it will be out soon but in the meantime what do you think?


	12. Home Front

**Rapture of the Innocent**

**DaggersBloodPain**

**A/N **The battle is going to be in two separate short chapters instead of just one long one. This one will cover the deceiving of Voldemort and the battle on the home front. The next one will contain the fight between Aidan and Voldemort. It has been awhile since I have written a fight scene between those two so we will just have to see how it goes.

**Chapter Twelve**

**Home Front**

"My Lord, Dumbledore had left Hogwarts. They are in chaos. If we attack we could cleanse the school of all the unworthy and bring back its glory." Lucius reported quickly from behind his skull mask.

"Ah, Lucius you have done well. Tell me are the wards holding over the castle?" The Dark Lord asked victoriously.

"They falter if enough of us go we can break through them easily." He explained giving the answer Aidan had coached into him.

"Go prepare yourself for battle. I will call the others and we will attack tonight. There is no sense wasting time and letting them get a defense together." Voldemort ordered.

"As you wish My Lord," Lucius genuflected before the Lord and apparated out, presumably to his manor to follow his orders, but truly he was headed straight to Hogwarts to tell his son he needed to be ready to go at a moments notice.

AMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAM

"All right the battle of all battles will be tonight. The Dark Lord is preparing his forces as we speak. When the first wave of Death Eaters arrive I will make my exit and intercept Voldemort. You will only be facing the Death Eaters tonight if Voldemort does appear than I have failed and you have my every permission to do what you need to do to survive. You have a choice, either stay here and fight with us or take the floo to the ministry they will keep you safe until the battle is either won or lost." Aidan was pacing in front of a packed great hall. The students had already been sent to the ministry, the people filling the room were those people that would be fighting.

Aidan was surprisingly calm about his impending duel with Voldemort, whatever was going to happen would happen. No amount of panicked screaming or angsting tears could change anything about it so he didn't bother. His time was much better spent keeping himself calm and his magic fluid than running around like a headless chicken.

Some of the fighters were a bit irritated at being told what to do by children, but a quick show of power had that cleared up quickly. When the entire started shaking at their comments they soon quieted.

Now they were just nervously waiting. The battle was going to be quick and brutal with death a real possibility but waiting for it to come was the true torture.

"They are coming!" The imposing figure in death eater attire was none other than Lucius. No need to ask who they were. Aidan felt that was his que to leave. He aparated out on the spot they had eliminated the apparation wards on the castle to make Lucius' reports to Voldemort seem accurate.

The next hour was nothing but confusion pain and blood as the swarm of death eaters dismantled the wards and rushed the castle. They were met with a wall of wands all casting a volley of spells, some more deadly than others. Members of the brotherhood who had been trained in special abilities were concealed amongst the shadows extracting the most damage they could without giving away their positions. Draco and Cedric however were right at the forefront of the battle giving the commands that led their side to fight as one.

There had not been a lot of time to train together, but there was enough that each group was confidant in the other's abilities even if the skill level varied greatly. They couldn't help but notice that Aidan's original assessment was correct, the Brotherhood far outstripped the Order and were on par with the Aurors sometimes even exceeding them. Aidan had done his best to train them as well as he could in the time he had. It helped he had been working with the cream of the Hogwarts student crop. They had only needed guidance not any real teaching which helped greatly.

The Hogwarts ground was muddy and slick from being trampled by the many duels. The walls of the great castle bore great scars the results of misfired spells.

Duels were taking place in the corridors. Blood was spilling on stone children walked across day after day. Hogwarts herself cried tears of blood at the loss of innocence. She felt her children those she guarded and fostered die within her and around her, their lives valiantly given in the fight for freedom. Gruesomely torn apart or simply dropped where they stood. Many were nursing wounds, both Dark and Light, were seriously dimmed. The clash was one of legend never truly explainable. The sights and scents of battle seared into the hearts of the warriors never to be forgotten nor completely shared.

Many brave souls perished in the fight. More than a few figures clad in black decorated the stone floor with their blood. With all factions of Light banded together they outweighed the dark and pushed back the shadow. The Death Eaters were losing ground. They attempted to flee, but the very wards that were felled to allow them entry were now reapplied thanks to the combined power of the Hunters, they were trapped and systematically exterminated. The infamous last stand did take out a number of Light fighters, but their really was no hope left for the creatures that went bump in the night.

Cedric felt it first, the disturbance in the wards, someone powerful enough to break through them. Break through they did as the last of the Death Eaters were dispatched another figure appeared in the great hall. Another body was cradled in the figures arms, gently, but not lovingly. It was as if the burden was the figures to bare but not to love.

The figure stood tall for a few second before falling to their knees. His hood falling back to reveal the swath of rich blonde hair streaked with color.

Aidan was back, and alive, but the figure in his arms just couldn't be Voldemort. That creature was surely not this thing cradled in Aidan's arms, for the thing still drew breath. What in the world happened!

A\N I have one last twist for this story and it will finally be done.


	13. Shadow's End

Rapture of the Innocent

DaggersBloodPain

A/N well here is the last full chapter. The next one will be a short epilogue, I will also have notes on a possible continuation.

Chapter Thirteen

Shadow's End

Aidan followed the magic emanating from his Dark Mark. It was a skill recently learned from his father and it served him well now. He was not prepared for the full force of Voldemort's twisted aura. He had landed in the same room as the Dark Lord and was now in incredible pain.

The deep black aura was so twisted and evil it was making him physically sick. If he had anything left in his stomach it would have been eliminated on the spot lucky for him he hadn't eaten.

"Now this is unexpected, but I must admit it is most timely, I will be able to deliver your broken body back to your precious Hogwarts just in time to have the Light side on its knees. Always knew they had the wrong Potter but it worked in my advantage to have you be untrained." Voldemort couldn't help but gloat as he worked to shove the pain away.

Standing up a little straighter Aidan let the magic crackle ominously from his fingertips. "Who said anything about me being untrained. I was taught by the best and you will be no more." He answered back smoothly as he let a blast of magic tear towards Voldemort.

The Dark Lord was able to bat it out of the way but it had him raising a non-existent eyebrow. "Now this will be interesting there is power in you. I may yet find a suitable opponent." He returned with his own blast.

Aidan let it hit him. He had a shield blocking the worst of the hit but he needed to feel Voldemort's magic. He couldn't fight what he didn't know. All while dodging strikes and returning blows he concentrated on analyzing the magic he felt.

He was facing another master at wandless magic. The advantage he had with fighting Dumbledore was not there. He could tell Voldemort was not using all his power, it was not out of the question they were truly equal in every way.

Yet there was something well, just plain off about Voldemort's magic. It was as if it was broken and fractured. It was all there doing the same thing but there was more than one piece.

With this knowledge Aidan subtly changed the magic he was using. Instead of pure blasts of energy he began to mold his magic to perform a separate task. He was going to try and pull apart the fragments. Something was there holding those pieces together. If he could break it apart at the seems something was bound to change in the monster and maybe he would actually be able to kill him.

He timed his blasts so they would collide with Voldemort's. He forced his magic into the sutures in the alien magic slowly opening them. He could see the inky black aura surrounding Voldemort start to swirl and agitate. Something a normal aura shouldn't do. Pushing even more magic into the blasts he opened the holes wider making the aura swirl faster.

The Dark Lord was aware something within him was changing. "You will not win, no brat will ever bring me down." He warned as he upped the power level in his blasts.

"All talk no proof," Aidan goaded as he loaded even more power into the mess.

He was not quick enough to stop a blast though and it slammed into him hard, sending him flying into the stone wall behind him. Picking himself out of the rubble he retaliated in a heartbeat. The pure magic colliding with the swirling aura surrounding Voldemort, sending him flying as well.

Aidan could see the black color start to break around Voldemort revealing a flash of forest green underneath… interesting if Voldemort's true aura was still intact if he could somehow remove the dark from him he could conceivable remove the evil. While the Dark Lord was off guard he forced himself into the depths of the others mind.

He started filling Voldemort with every thought of love and honor he had ever had. He shared moments with the Dark Lord he had told no other. He pushed thoughts of love into the monster who couldn't. This was either going to make him lose whatever was left of his sanity or it would break him.

He pushed his magic into the fray, working on prying apart the bindings on the magic at the same time he was working on the lord's mind. He was going to crush the darkness out of him one way or another.

He gave Voldemort his whole story, from the anger he felt at the abandonment to the acceptance of his new family, to the love he shared with Cedric. He kept the faces of his family and is lover at the forefront of the onslaught the pictures so bright they seemed to burn the darkness.

He felt something snap within the mind of Voldemort. Something evil and twisted was fleeing. The evil creature proceeded to vomit pitch-black blood, and copious amounts of it. With every mouthful of the vile substance leaving his body the aura surrounding him receded and the body he possessed was mutating. The newly freed magic, no longer bond to the will of darkness was keeping him alive as he lost every drop of black blood in his body. The magic forcing the body back to its human shape.

Aidan had to turn away from the scene. It was something he was sure to have nightmares about for the rest of his life. Forcing the evil to leave a person seeped in it was not a pleasant sight.

When the sounds of retching quit and the heavy thud of a body hitting the floor reached his ears he turned his head cautiously. He was surprised at what he saw.

The Dark Lord was no more. The black aura that had once made him sick was overcome with a green one strikingly similar to his own. The magic once tightly bound to the shadows was freed from its bonds and coiled protectively around the now human Voldemort.

The man looked to be in his seventies, thin and lanky. His hair that was once dark brown was now streaked with silver at the temples. The only sign of life was the steadily pulsing aura and the slow intake of breaths.

The evil was gone, now he could be brought in to pay for his crimes. The full weight of the punishment would be far worse than any death Aidan could have dealt.

Gathering up the body, Aidan slowly called his magic to perform one last feat. He wanted to go home, and nothing was going to stop him.

He used every ounce of energy he had left to slip through the Hogwarts wards. He felt the comforting aura of Cedric close by and knew he had survived. His exhaustion hit him and the result of meeting a break wall at high velocity had him sinking to his knees and the world went black.

A/N The next chapter is the epilogue where Voldemort's punishment is revealed and Aidan finds out who has lived or died in the battle.


	14. Aftermath

Rapture of the Innocent

DaggersBloodPain

A/N Ok here is the aftermath chapter I hope you enjoy it. I will have some notes at the end regarding a possible continuation.

Chapter Fourteen 

Aftermath

Aidan slowly awoke to a bright white light shining in his eyes. Blinking a few times to avoid the pain he sat up slightly.

"Oh thank Merlin you're awake, you have been out for a full week now." Cedric's haggard voice rang out from the chair next to his bed. Getting a good look around he found out he was in a small hospital room probably St. Mungos if he had to guess.

"How many did we lose?" Aidan asked as soon as he found his voice.

"About twenty Aurors, half the Order, three of the Brotherhood, and one Hunter." Cedric answered gravely.

"Who from the Brotherhood?" He demanded anxiously.

"Ivy, Susan Bones, and Terry Boot." He responded quietly knowing Ivy's name on the list was going to hurt.

"Who did we lose in the Hunters?" He was more subdued at the loss of so many.

"Hannah Abbot, there was just too many for her." Cedric held his hand at the name.

Aidan was having trouble breathing. There were three people from the understated Hufflepuff house to give their lives. He remembered holding Ivy in his arms the day before his challenge to Dumbledore, he remembered healing Hannah after his ex-siblings attacked her and her simple honest outlook, she had been the one to bring Susan to them and she had been a brilliant witch.

Terry had been a Ravenclaw student with above average power and was fairly good at wandless magic. Aidan was confidant it would have taken a lot to bring them down.

"Any one else I should know about?" Aidan asked thickly.

"James Potter was killed, I believe anyone else you knew personally made it through." Cedric answered.

"I don't know how to react to that one. In a way I am glad in a way I am not now I can't be the one to put him in his place." Aidan admitted.

"Just relax for now I wasn't joking I was afraid you wouldn't wake up." Cedric urged.

"I will always come back to you, I promise." Aidan promised adamantly.

Leaning over he kissed Cedric heavily before relaxing back on his bed like he had been asked.

"What happened to Riddle?" He thought to ask on the edge of sleep.

"He will be tried and sentenced tomorrow. If you feel well enough you can come and watch if you want." Cedric answered. Still blown away by the fact Aidan had brought him back alive.

"I would like to come, I have a suggestion on his sentencing." Aidan revealed.

"You are going to make people angry aren't you?" He sighed.

"I live for it." Aidan smirked.

"Just get some sleep and I will here your brilliant suggestion tomorrow."

"Night,"

AMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAM

"Tom Marvolo Riddle aka Lord Voldemort, you have been herby found guilty of the crime of terrorism and murder on numerous occasions. If it were up to me you would be Kissed and sent to Azkaban within the hour but someone has decided upon a better punishment for you." The minister's amplified voice carried through

Aidan stood up on sturdy legs touching his throat to amplify his own voice. "Tom Riddle as witness to the Extraction undergone by you, I have decided on an alternative to the traditional punishments. You must repay your debt to society. Wasting power such as yours would be a crime worthy of punishment itself. You are sentenced to be forever Magically Shackled to a wizard of equal power to your own. Every thought and spell you cast will be available to this wizard. You will be under constant surveillance. You debt to society will be repaid by using your power to rebuild the world you worked to destroy not long ago. Is this sentence in any way unclear to you?"

"Just who is this wizard who believes themselves strong enough to hold me in check." The aged wizard chained to a very uncomfortable looking chair responded. The evil may have been drained out of him but he was still bitter and resentful.

"You should know already Riddle, you will be bound to me, and I will be bound to my love as well you will technically have two people ready and able to rein you in." Aidan warned testily.

Aidan turned to the four people strategically placed behind him, it was his father, uncle, Draco, and Cedric. "Would you four please perform the spell? All of you together will definitely be strong enough."

As one they raised their hands and performed the spell they had been coached on before the trial had taken place. Aidan was going to surprise them as well but figured that with the high-level magics involved it would be better if they were warned.

He felt the magic settle around him and Riddle. It was an odd feeling to have another person's feelings and thoughts running through the back of his mind. He figured it would take some time to get used to it and like it or not the ex Dark Lord would repay his debt one way or another.

So with his family behind him and the vanquished Dark Lord behind him he walked out of the courtroom and into the future.

A/N This is the final installment of this series but…

I have an idea for a continuation of this, but it will be about the reformation of Voldemort. It is very sketchy at the moment and wont be out for awhile. If anybody is interested in reading such a story let me know so I have an idea when to start it. It will be a completely different story, I want to call it Requiem of the Wicked but there is still time for that to change.


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